By MANERA Benelux
THE DESIGN ROUTE
Connected by design
GLUE AMSTERDAM
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GLUE Amsterdam is back from 17 through 19 September for its seventh edition. The event provides curated “design routes” across 40 locations and 150 exhibitors throughout Amsterdam, bringing together a diverse range of creative talent, from established brands to emerging designers. Along the way, visitors can meet designers in the spaces where they create, exchange, and showcase their work. Open to all, GLUE’s routes are to inspire, encourage connection and exchange, and increase visibility into Amsterdam's creative scene. We speak with designer, interior architect, and founding partner of GLUE Amsterdam, Ruud van Oosterhout, about the upcoming edition.
~How did your work as a designer and interior architect progress into becoming a founding partner of GLUE Amsterdam?
I've had my own studio in Amsterdam for many years, working on interiors, furniture, and objects, both in the Netherlands and internationally. My work is very personal to me. I like to be involved in everything: from the architecture and atmosphere of a space, to the materials, furniture, art, and the smallest details. This also means working closely with other designers, artists, and craftspeople – something I really enjoy. Those collaborations bring another layer to a project.
Around the time GLUE started, I had opened my new studio and showroom on the Stadshouderskade, next to the Rijksmuseum. I wanted it to be much more than an office or a traditional showroom, and so it became a place where I could bring together my own work, art, objects, and collaborations with other creatives, and continuously change what people can discover there.
GLUE connected very naturally to that idea. Amsterdam has so much creative talent, but everybody tends to work within their own world. I strongly believed – and still do – we needed something that could connect those worlds, open doors, and make the creative energy of the city much more visible. That was one of the main reasons I wanted to be involved as a founding partner; it's very close to how I work myself: bringing people, disciplines, and ideas together.
~This is GLUE Amsterdam’s seventh edition. How has the event evolved over the years?
GLUE started as a design route with a very simple underlying ambition: to connect Amsterdam’s creative community and make it more visible. That idea is still at the heart of it, and I think over the years it has only continued to solidify.
Designers, architects, galleries, brands, academies, cultural institutions, and makers are increasingly connected through GLUE. Success is not about becoming bigger simply for the sake of being bigger. It's about creating stronger connections, opening more doors, and continuing to improve the quality and diversity of what people can discover.
~This year’s theme is “Creating a Home”. What does it mean to you, and how does it reflect GLUE’s mission?
Home is not only about an interior or the physical idea of a house. It’s about identity, belonging, and creating a place where you feel connected – which is very much core connected to the core philosophy of GLUE.
That can be your own home, but also your neighbourhood, your city, or simply a place or community where you feel you belong. We live in a time where everything moves very quickly, so feeling at home – in all senses of the word – is crucial.
~Are there any particular moments you’re especially excited about this year?
It's difficult to point out just one, or even a handful. GLUE has so many different levels, disciplines, and personalities, and that variety is exactly what makes it interesting. You can walk into a small studio, meet a designer, or see work you've never come across before and be completely amazed by what you find.
I would strongly advise people to come with an open mind, take their time, walk the routes, and especially visit the places and people they don’t already know. Don’t only go to the names you recognise, but be open to discovering something new – that's the beauty of GLUE. You never really know what will come your way.
~What do you find most exciting about the local creative scene right now?
Amsterdam does not need to become Milan, Paris, or Copenhagen. Its strength is that it has its own scale, character, and attitude.
What I find interesting right now is the mixture of design, art, architecture, fashion, craftsmanship, and technology. The boundaries between those disciplines are becoming less important, and that creates interesting collaborations and new ideas.
At the same time, I think we have to protect the creative character of the city. Creative people need space – literally and figuratively – to experiment, develop ideas, and build something. If Amsterdam wants to remain a creative city, we cannot only celebrate creativity. We also have to make sure it can actually stay here. For me, that’s also why GLUE matters!
During GLUE, you can visit Ruud van Oosterhout his studio and showroom, RVO Design, at Stadhouderskade 42, where he’ll be showing a new sofa collection.
